PERICROCOTUS 263 



PERICROCOTUS, Boie, 1826. 



386. ASHY MINI VET. 

 PERICROCOTUS CINEREUS. 



Pericrocotus cinereus, Lafresn. Eev. Zool. viii. p. 94 (1845) ; Gould, B. 

 of Asia, ii. pi. 11 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 107 ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 83 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 489 ; 

 Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 106 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 462. 



Shanshokui, Japanese. 



< ad. (China). Forehead and fore-crown white ; lores, and a line at 

 the base of the bill, a line through the eye, hind crown, and nape deep 

 black ; upper parts generally slate-grey ; wings and tail black, the former 

 externally margined with slate-grey ; external rectrix white on terminal 

 half; chin, throat, and under parts white ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. 

 Culmen 0'6, wing 3 '85, tail 3*95, tarsus 0*7 inch. The female has the 

 crown grey like the back, rather paler on the forehead, lores only black, 

 and the breast and flanks tinged with pale slate-grey. 



Hob. Eastern Siberia (the Bureja mountains and Ussuri 

 country), Japan, and Corea; migrating through China to 

 winter in Burma, the Malay peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and 

 the Philippines. 



Frequents the deciduous woods, and is shy and wary. After 

 the breeding season it collects in flocks and frequents the 

 tops of the oaks and other greenwood trees, making a hubbub that 

 betrays its presence. Its note is said to resemble that of a Shrike. 

 It breeds in Eastern Siberia, Corea, and Japan, in May, June, 

 and July, placing its nest in a tree at from 10 to 20 feet from 

 the ground, often quite at the end of a branch, and deposits 

 5 to 6 eggs, of which I have seen no authentic specimens. 



387. SHORT-BILLED MINI VET. 

 PERICROCOTUS BREVIROSTRIS. 



Pericrocotus brevirostris (Vigors), P.Z.S. 1831, p. 43 ; (Gould) Cent. 

 Himal. B. pi. 8 ; Hend. and Hume, Lah. to Yark. p. 184 ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 79 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 483 5 

 Bianchi and Berezovski, Ptitz. Kan-su, p. 104 ; David and Oust. 

 Ois. Chine, p. 104. 



<J ad. (Nepal). Head, neck, throat, upper breast and back, wings and 

 middle rectrices glossy blue-black ; remaining rectrices, rump, lower back) 

 a broad band across the wing, and under parts rich deep crimson-vermilion ; 



